Ambition, Grit and a Great Pair of Heels

Fashion Internship: Behind the Scenes

The Devil Wears Prada

Fashion Industry is a Bitch!

I have heard that myself many times and I bet you have too. Even so, millions of young girls and boys dream of being part of this glamour world. How many of us have fashion pages torn from Vogue’s last issue on your walls? Yes, I do too! I know one young gentleman who goes in this fantasy world to his work experience every day.

Who is he?

He is Diego Urbano, 1st year Footwear Design student in London College of Fashion and an intern in Nicholas Kirkwood.

He came last summer from Bilbao Spain to study Footwear: Product Design and Development in London. Even with English being his second language, Diego has the confidence to apply for internships straight at the top designers. Kirkwood saw his talent and determination and gave Diego the chance to be part of the amazing fashion brand Nicholas Kirkwood.

” The start was really exciting, however I had to learn a lot and most importantly learn how to behave in a working environment, besides having to practice and improve my English all day long.”

He started as a part of the administrative department, but after a couple of months they have noticed that Diego can do more than paperwork and he got the chance to help the design department in more creative tasks. This helped him understand the industry better, because being part of different departments gave him deeper insights into the company. Diego met Nicholas Kirkwood the man himself. Diego said: ” The best thing about doing an internship in smaller companies is that you get to know everyone in charge of every department, you feel in a more personal and intimate environment.

His duties include assisting the designers and consultants, carrying out creative and visual research, project presentation development, sketching and illustration.

Diego feels that this internship is really fruitful.

“I can ask for advice when I’ve got a school project and they are always happy to help me and give me their opinion and advice.”

And how has his opinion changed?

” It’s not all about a nice drawing or sketch, it needs to be brought to reality, turned into a product. I am now aware of how fast the rhythm of fashion goes, there is a lot of effort and work put into every single detail and shoe.”

The fashion world may be a tough one, but not everything inside is a scene from The Devil Wears Prada. Diego is a great example of that, a young man who came on his own from a foreign country to make him dream come true. Congratulations Diego, you are now a few steps closer!